Desperate Measures
by MeredithBrody
Summary: Brody is leaving for an undercover assignment and Pride can't let her go without giving her a reason to come back (accompaniment to PinkAngel17's story "Down the Rabbit Hole")


**This started out as a brief idea and morphed into this. First things first. The title and lyrics come from the song "Desperate Measures" by Marianas Trench. Listen to it while reading. Trust me. This is also a "missing scene" to PinkAngel17's fic "Down the Rabbit Hole". I suggest you all go read it. She's wonderful and an amazing writer and bestie. Anyway. Read and review as always! Toodles.  
Shin xx**

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_**When I got you right where I want you  
I've been pushing for this for so long  
Kiss me just once for luck  
These are desperate measures now.**_

This case had sneaked up on them, and none of them had really been prepared. She had been ready for it, but Pride hadn't been. As he stood her in front of him, knowing she was leaving in the morning for God only knew how long he thought about what he wanted. Over the last few months something had changed between them, it had been slow, and neither of them had defined it, but it had happened. It had started with private dinners to seeing movies as friends, to sitting in the theatre holding hands, to wherever they were now. Now she was leaving.

He had told her she'd be coming back to New Orleans, that she would be returning to her family. But he really wanted to give her a reason to return to him. He'd been trying to say it for days, but he hadn't really managed to get it out. Telling her he loved her felt too much like a goodbye, and telling her that he wanted her to come home to him seemed inelegant. But now she was going to leave, and she'd never know how he felt.

"Meredith, look at me." He pressed, wanting her to look at him as he said what he wanted to say. What he needed to say. That was going to be his first effort. Telling her that he loved her and that he needed her to come back. He didn't know if she would agree to that. In this situation, she probably didn't know.

"I need to go, I need sleep and I'm being picked up here early." She said, still avoiding his eye, as she started gathering her things he knew that the time had come for desperate measures. He couldn't let her go without saying something.

He caught her arm as she made to walk past him, out of his room and down to the courtyard and possibly out of his life. He couldn't let her go. "Stay." He said simply, hoping that would be enough.

"You know I can't do that, I have to do this assignment." She was dedicated, he knew that, and he wouldn't ask her not to go on an assignment. He meant he didn't want her to leave now. He wanted her to stay there and spend the night with him.

"That's not what I meant." He said, and brushed a little bit of the hair away from her face as he did.

"Damn Dwayne just tell me. Tell me that you want me to stay with you. Tell me that you wish I wasn't going." She was right on all of those points, but they weren't exactly what he wanted to tell her. As her hands dropped to her sides she said the one she was clearly dying to say to him herself. "Tell me that the last six months have meant as much to you as they have to me."

"All of that is true, and so much more that I can't even put into words. All I can say is-" He was cut off by her lips claiming his. The wig she'd already had threaded into her hair showed him what she looked like with longer hair and he liked it, but he missed her pixie cut. He just kissed her back as fiercely as he could.

That was it, he had her where he'd wanted her for weeks. It may have been a Hail Mary play, it may have been desperate, but it had worked. As she kissed him he pushed her up against the wall, and he could tell she was as thankful of this as he was. Maybe it was knowing in a few hours they possibly wouldn't see each other for months. He'd become used to her being there. It was going to hurt without her there.

As he held her against the wall he opened the button on her jeans and pushed his hand under the waistband, as he drifted lower he heard her suck her breath in and saw her bite her lip. He then took hold of both her hands with one of his, holding them above her head. He started rubbing her clit, tipping his fingers inside every few seconds. Listening to Merri's whimpers and gentle pleas made him just move faster. As he kept working her up until her entire body went rigid he smiled, nipping at her neck.

Once she could control her limbs it was clearly her turn, and she pushed his remaining clothes off as she lead him back to the bed. As his knees hit the edge of the bed she pushed him down and kissed him hard, then took a tight hold of him. Not so tight as to hurt, but nice and firm. It was clear she knew exactly what she was doing, and he soon found himself close to losing control, especially when she slid down and took him into her mouth, sucking and licking in all the right places. He had to try and redirect his thoughts before this night ended long before he wanted it to.

Before she had the time to drive him completely off the cliff he pulled her up and made sure her clothes joined his on the pile on the floor. As soon as she was laid on the bed beneath him he pushed forward, joining them together. He just held himself there, looking at her as he did. He knew that this probably wasn't going to last long for either of them, so he angled himself more, and smiled against her lips as she groaned out his name. As he felt his own climax approaching he kissed her hard, putting as much as he could into that kiss.

There were no words afterwards, they just curled up together, sharing occasional tender kisses before they both drifted into a deep and comfortable sleep. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been more comfortable. Then the morning had dawned, and he'd remembered why everything had been so frantic the night before. She was going to have to leave, and he wouldn't know when she was coming back. They went through the morning on autopilot, still not speaking, not breaking the spell. The whole time some part of them was touching the other, even as they got dressed.

"One last kiss before I leave, for luck?" She asked after she'd zipped her boot up. He couldn't believe how different she looked from her usual. He had no idea what she was going to face, but he knew she could do it and would be home before long. He wanted to tell her things before she left.

"Merri, you were right. I do wish you weren't going." He was going to have to suck it up, and after last night he needed to tell her. Maybe it was cliché, maybe it was like a goodbye. He still just needed to say it. "I love you. Be safe." That was the simple truth. He loved her, and he wasn't sure what he'd do without her.

After a second of just staring at him she pressed her forehead to his and held his cheeks. "I love you, and I will." She pressed her lips to his once more, then went back to pressing against his forehead, gripping on to the hair at the nape of his neck. They stood like that for a beat, maybe two, then she abruptly stepped away and walked out. He understood why they had to part like that. Anything more would cause more pain, more struggle. He was going to miss her so damn much, and she wasn't even leaving the city.


End file.
